Omaha daily bee., 1887-05-31

east ana / OFT NnUrcVlll, on the west anu
southern part of Hudson Bay proper.
Although little is known yet regarding
this werd and frozen region, it has had
growth within the last half century
which has been something phenomenal,
and having been measured according to
its needs by the God of nature has gone
on advancing from age to age, uutil Mt
the present time, not alone the more fer.
tile islands, but the extent of land back
from the coast on either side is thickly
populated by people who hunt and ilSh
and breed and talk and chatter even
among the misery and destitution which
life in region of perpetual frost
and snow must bring. Hudson bay it
self is really an island sea, extending be.
tween latitude 81 : and "a north, and
longitude 11o and 95o west, and while
1000 miles long at its greatest distance,
is only about 600 miles in breadth, cover
ing an area of over 5O0,00 square miles.
1t is nayigablc only for about three
months in the .year-from the middle OF
June to the middle of Superintendent
for the remainder of the year is filled
with drift ice, which renders navigation,
even for short distance. an absolute
imposSiblity. The eastern coasts of the
bay are sights to be admired, cliffs rising
in many eases to a hight of from 2G0 to
400 feet abruptly from the waters edge,
and, being composed of glacier-hko
substance which, beng ever coated
with ice and frozen snow,
shine IN the sunlight until 1t is almost inn
possible to look ut them for any length
of time. The residents of this section
are not properly EsqWmauN. but n cross
between this race and the French and In
dians, who have come in for the purpose
of hunting and fishing, and finally settled
down among the natives to live rs they
do and share with them in the privations
which no other life affords. On an aver
age, in the summer mouths. the thcr-
mometcr stands at about 45 degrees
above, while the temperature in the
winter runs as low rs 60 degrees below
zero, and will average about 25 below.
Fish are scarce and can be caught only
in the rivers, of which on the east there
is only the Great Whale, while
on the west there are the
Hayes, Nelson, Churchill, Moore, AL
bany, Weeknisk, Main and Abbitibbe.
Seal abound in plenty, but are extremely
shy and hard for the natives to get at,
while porpoise and walrus are equally
difficult to get hold of Were il not for
the small fur-bearing animals which are
about the shores the poor half breeds
would stand II very good chance of per-
ishing by hunger, rs they can expect
nothing III the way of favors from the
Hudson Bay company's stores, n few of
which are along the coast. The natives
live in little villages composed of from
| fifty to 100 rude huts. Each community
has its place of worship and its church
| burial ground, which is consccrated by
| the MOravian missionaries, few of
| whom are to be found wandering about
the eastern extent of the settle
ments down as far as Fort Churchill on
the west. These faithful beloved men
expect no recompcnse for their services
and if they did they wouldn't get it, for
there is not in all the country such a
thing as money, the only exchange being
in fish, oil, or furs. Whenever one of of
a tribe dies the rest of his famlly-mean-
| ing by that the entire settlement-stop
work for the day and prepare to bury
him. If the settlement possesses such a
thing as dinner bell, and the most of
them do, the Oldest man in the village
goes about from nut to hut and rings
the occupants come out both
big and little, and, falling into line,
march after him. When the circuit had
been made, and big and little are all col
lected, march is made for the klrote.
as it is called the village church, which
consists of about an acre of ground
simply inclosed by n wall of stones near
| tne mluule OF tho community. tnlO lnlS
little field go the entire populace, and
after chanting the virtues of the dead for
some hours the corpse is taken away on
skin rack and covered with ice and
snow in the common burial plot. The
rest of the day is spent in rejoicing, and
the next day, if the deceased was mar
ried, his better half makes another choice,
and at the end of a week, if an agree
ment be come to, the dead is forgotten
and the no longer sorrowing one begins
life over again.